Clutch-shifting device



June 2, 1925. 1,540,247

' C. L. BOWMAN CLUTCH SHIFTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1922 v Clear/e5 l1 -5 0 wmczn Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

CHARLES L. BOWMAN, OF BOWDIL, OHIO.

Application filed November ing clutches and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive device Which may be readily applied to any machine and by which the clutch may be easily'thrown in or out and be positively held in either position. In, the operation of various machinery, .it is frequently necessary or advisable to quickly throw in or out the clutch by which a shaft is connected to a driving member, and the devices heretofore provided for this purpose are objectionable for the reason that they do not firmly hold the clutch in the position in which it may be set so that it will slip in or out prematurely and when such action is not desired. The objectof the present invention is to provide a device which will overcome this objection, and such a device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The invention resides in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device showing it in the position assumed when the clutch is thrown out;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device in the position assumed when the clutch is in, and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the shaft in transverse section.

The reference numeral 1 in the drawin denotes a fixed art of any machine which is to be operated A bracket 2 which may be of any preferred or convenient form is secured rigidly upon the fixed member 1.

' and this bracket is provided with a depend ing hanger member 3 at its free end. Ful crumed upon the hanger 3 adjacent the uper end thereof is a hand lever 4 which has its lower end reduced in thickness or offset, as shownat 5, and providedwith a longitudinal slot 6. A pivot bolt 7 is inserted through the slot 6 and through the bifurcated or forked upper end of a shifting yoke or rocking arm 8, the forked or bicnu'rcn-snrrrmc avies.

8, 1922. Serial no. 599,696.

furcate'd end 9 of the shank of the rocking arm or yoke receiving the reduced or offset extremity 5 of the hand lever, as clearly shown. The rocking arm is pivotally mounted upon the lower extremity of the hanger 3 by a pivot bolt 10 and the lower extremity of said rocking. arm is formed into a fork or yoke 11v adapted to engage in an annular groove. 12 in the clutch member '13. which issplined upon the shaft 14. The clutch member 13 may be of any well-known form and co-operates with a mating clutch member 15 which is secured rigidly .to the driving pulley or gear. Upon one side of the fork or yoke 11 is an upwardly projecting elongated eyeor link 16 in which is engaged the lower ex tremity 17 of a coiled spring 18, the upper end of which is engaged over a headed stud or bolt 19cm the hand lever 4 above the fulcrum ofthe same. To facilitate a smooth action of the parts'in shifting the clutch member 13, the edge portions of the fork 11 are tapered, as indicated at 20, so that the fork may rock easily upon the opposed walls of the cove 12. It will be readily noted that the fulcrum or pivot of the hand levers and the fulcrum .or pivotof the rocking. arm are substantially .in vertical alinement, while the lower end of the spring is attached to the fork below the lower pivot and the upper end of the spring is attached to the hand lever above the pivot of the same, When it is desired to ,shift the clutch, the hand lever 4 is merely rocked to one side upon its pivot. and the rocking arm will be rocked llIl the opposite direction through the connection .of the upper end "thereof, to the lower end of the hand lever, the slot 6 accommodating the varying angular relation of the pivot 7 to the endof the hand lever. As the lever is rocked in either direction, the upper end of the spring will, of course, 'be carried thererection whenever desired :but will hold the clutch in the :position in which it may be set. The tension of the spring serves to throw the joint between the hand lever and the rocking arm beyond the dead center in both directions and the clutch will be effectually held in a set position without the use of racks, pawls or similar devices. It

will be readily noted that the terminals of the spring are at right anglesto each other to'permit proper engagement with the stud 19 and the eye or link 16 and that they may slide readily upon the stud and the link, respectively, to accommodate the varyin relation of the parts and the shifting o the line of pull or tension. My improved device is exceedingly sim le and compact and may be readily applie to clutches in any position upon any machine.

Having thus des'cribedthe invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a slidable clutch member, of a rocking. arm engaging said member, a transverse elongated eye upon one side of said arm below the pivot of the same, a lever mounted above the rockin arm, a pin and slot connection between the lower end of the lever and the upper end of the rocking arm, and a contractilesp'ring havingits lower end engaged in the said trans verse elongated eye and its upper end engaged with the lever above the fulcrum of the same.

a 2. A clutch-shifting device comprisin a clutching member shiftin yoke 'provic led with a shank having a bi urcated free terminal, a hanger support, a shifting lever having an offset lower end extended between the furcations of said shank, a lost motion pivot connection between said offset lower end and said shank, means for pivotally connccting said shank to said support, means for pivotally connecting said lever above its offset lower end to said support, a headed stud projecting laterally from said lever above its offset lower end, a link rojecting upwardly from said yoke, and a resilient element slidably connected to said stud and link.

A clutch'shafting device comprisin a clutchin member shiftin yoke provided with a slia'nk having a bi urcated free terminal, a hanger support, a shifting lever having an offset lower end extended between the furcations of said shank, a lost motion pivot connection between said offset lower end and said shank, means for pivotally connecting said shank to said support, means for pivotally connecting said lever above itsioffset lower end to said support, a resilient connection having hook-shaped ends, said hook-shaped ends extending at right angles with respect to each other, means for slidably connecting one of said hook-shaped ends to said lever, and means for slidably connecting the other of said hook-shaped ends to said yoke.

LA clutch-shiftin device comprising a clutching member shifting element, a hanger support, a shifting lever having an offset lower end extending into said element, a lost motion pivotal connection between said offset end and said element, means for pivotally connecting said element to said support, means for pivotally connecting said lever to said support, a vertically disposed resilient element, means for slidably connecting one end of said resilient element to said lever, and means for slidably connecting the other end of said resilient element to said shifting element.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES L. BOWMAN. [1,. 8.1, j 

